


The Dragon's Queen

by orphan_account



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Letters, Pseudo-History, R plus L equals J, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-17 17:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5879704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aerys married his eldest son off to Elia Martell immediately after Viserys's birth instead of sending his cousin to Essos, and she bore Rhaegar three children before dying in labor with the last. Rhaegar is therefore a young widower when he crowns Lyanna Stark the Queen of Love and Beauty during the tourney at Harrenhal, and Aerys decides that his son will marry the lady.</p><p>Here are seven letters Lyanna Stark sent in another world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Benjen Stark (281)

Dearest Benjen —

I write you from Dragonstone. It is a dreary old castle on a dreary old island, but it has its charms. My ladies claim that it is haunted, but no one can offer any proof of that beyond sudden cool breezes and the feeling that they are being watched. (Both are perfectly understandable, on an island and in a royal residence.) Jonelle [1] laughed and told them stories of the Nightfort, but that source of entertainment is lost to us now because they all had nightmares that night and begged her to never speak of it again. These Andals are paltry creatures.

I am sorry that I did not write you sooner, and sorrier that you could not attend my wedding. I thought that Father would slap me when I said that he should have ordered Ned north to serve as the Stark in Winterfell instead of you, but what did he expect would happen when he sent Brandon hither and Ned thither? _Of course_ you and I are closer to each other than we are to our older brothers, and _of course_ I would rather have you at my wedding than Brandon or Ned. Or both! But Brandon is the heir, Ned is Lord Arryn's ward, and Father is unreasonable.

That said, you did not miss much. We were wed by the High Septon, and we dined in the company of half the nobles in the realm. Even Lord Reed came, though he was probably miserable. They do not respect crannogmen here in the capitol, but I might change that one day. Something good would come from my marriage, then.

There weren't many Dornishmen in attendance, and the letter of congratulations the Prince of Dorne sent was distinctly cool. Princess Elia is only a year dead, after all, and here is her widower crowning another woman as the Queen of Love and Beauty and, worse, marrying her. Prince Oberyn had a vicious glare when he saw Prince Rhaegar place that crown of winter roses on my lap.

There were even fewer houses from the Westerlands, though, for I have displeased the lions of Casterly Rock. Cersei Lannister had nursed hopes of becoming Prince Rhaegar's second wife after she was denied the pleasure of being his first, and my marriage therefore spoiled the hopes of the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms. I would have gladly advised Lady Cersei on how to go about catching a royal husband, but I fear she would disapprove of my actions. I did as I thought best, but I do wish that Rhaegar had not found it fit to crown me in honor of my good deeds. Whether in flowers or in gold. [2]

You expressed concern on one matter, but I can reassure you: The bedding was less abhorrent than expected, but that is due to my husband's high birth. Dragons cannot have their clothes ripped off by non-royal hands, so we were escorted to my chambers by two members of the Kingsguard after the bedding was announced and then left alone. (Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Oswell Whent, who have accompanied us to Dragonstone.) Rhaegar did not act the part of Ser Harrold, which was acceptable since I did not feel the need to play Maid Mariya. [3] Again, I had imagined worse, but in my imaginings, my bridegroom was _Robert Baratheon_. I must thank Lord Baratheon for spending so many years arguing over my dowry with Father, or else it might have been.

We barely stayed in King's Landing for a fortnight before my husband brought me here, and I was as upset to leave as the king and queen were to see us go. All three of us had very different reasons for our upset, however.

Rhaegar made his home on Dragonstone with his first wife, and his children remained on the island throughout our courtship and wedding. They like me little, but I do not blame them. The eldest is only four, and I was introduced to them in the clumsiest manner. You and I would have resented it too, at their ages, had my father presented a stranger to us as our new mother.

Soon I will win over the young prince and princesses, or so I swear, but I am more concerned about my ladies-in-waiting. Jonelle is my only friend among them, and my father had to argue with the king to earn her place. They judge me and mock me for my youth and inexperience, and there is nothing I can do about that because their fathers or brothers are all lickspittles at the king's beck and call. Everything I say and do is reported to His Grace. The only ones whose loyalty I might win are Ashara Dayne and Mylenda Caron, but I think their loyalty belongs to another. Ashara is sister to the Sword of the Morning, and Mylenda is betrothed to Jon Connington. [4]

Ashara does not only hide her loyalties from me, but something else. She asks Jonelle and me too many questions about the North, specifically the Neck and the crannogmen. I saw her speaking with Lord Reed at Harrenhal and again at the wedding, so I would think that she would know all she should wish about such subjects. Unless she is trying to catch Howland out on a lie? Well, she cannot because he has never told a lie.

As for Mylenda, she might not like me, but at least I know she likes me better than her betrothed does. Prince Oberyn should take notes on how to glare from Lord Connington.

Forgive me the splatter here, but I tapped my pen against the paper while considering what to write next. I do not want to end this letter so soon, but there is nothing to add. I lead a boring life, in which my chief entertainment each day is needlework. Worst of all, Dragonstone is ill-made for riding, and the godswood is in an alarming state. My husband says that it never even had a weirwood, not even before the Andals came, because of the volcanoes on the island.

It is colder than it was at Harrenhal, and Anya Merryweather says that the Citadel now claims that they were misled and that spring did not come after all. (Who could have misled them? Their own folly?) Perhaps we should change our house's words to "Winter is Coming, again."

Hopefully I shall see you soon, but until then I remain, your affectionate sister,

 _Lyanna Stark_  
_Princess of Dragonstone_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] Jonelle Cerwyn, Lyanna's childhood friend, lady-in-waiting, and future sister-in-law

[2] This is often presented as proof that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree (see _The_ _Dragon's Bride_ , by Maester Willem), but the only other evidence is that her son later used the same shield (or a similar one) when competing as a mystery knight years later. The prince might have been inspired by the story, not necessarily by his mother's heroism.

[3] Ser Harrold and Maid Mariya were characters in a contemporary ballad. Maid Mariya refused to lie with her husband on their wedding night until he proved himself to her, and Ser Harrold went on a series of quests to prove himself worthy of her maidenhead.

[4] Lyanna correctly surmises that Ashara and Mylenda are spying on their princess for Rhaegar at the behest of their brother and future husband, respectively. (Arthur Dayne and Jon Connington were two of Rhaegar's closest friends.) She is wrong to assign malicious motives to them, however. Their reports generally speak well of Lyanna and poorly of the king's spies, particularly Sarra Chelsted, who later became known as "the Scandal of the Seven Kingdoms."


	2. Ashara Dayne (283)

To Ashara Dayne, Lady of Greywater Watch: [1]

Pray, forgive me for the delay in between this letter and my last, but by now you have heard what happened in the capitol while you were tucked away, safe in the Neck. I imagine the news must have alarmed you as it trickled in, disjointed and contradictory, but rest assured, your brother is unharmed and so are we.

In my last letter I informed you of my pregnancy, and I had scarcely adjusted to the thought of myself as a mother before we were summoned to court. Aerys said it was so that I might receive the care of the grand maester and survive the birth, unlike my predecessor, but it was in truth because he suspected my husband of plotting against him and wanted him and his family under his power.

He probably thought his displays of burning peasants would intimidate Rhaegar, but they only hardened his resolve. He had not known how mad his father had become (how could he, when he has lived on Dragonstone these past six years?), but he soon learned better.

I was not in his confidence, for we do not have that sort of marriage (or, at least, we did not). All I know about the conspiracy is what I pieced together for myself. Rhaegar had managed to win to his side most of the houses in the Crownlands and the Riverlands, and he ordered them to march at his signal. The signal was his visit to Ser Myles Mooton, his former squire, in Maidenpool, and he had intended for us to join him. The king would not allow it, but it seems to have been chance that he refused us because the late Master of Whisperers did not know Rhaegar's purpose. [2] Unfortunately, Rhaegar could not delay his coup, and we were left at the mercies of a merciless man.

The burnings increased in Rhaegar's absence, especially after word got to the king that his son marched on the capitol with an army. We would have been the next to be burned. Fortunately, I had found a secret passageway in the weeks leading up to my wedding. It takes its user from Maegor's Holdfast to the shores of the Blackwater, and Jonelle went to find a smuggler willing to take three women and three children to White Harbor, or Sunspear. I compelled Mylenda Caron into accompanying us the next day. Her loyalty to Rhaegar meant that I could trust her with the safety of his children.

The journey north was an uneasy one, but our smuggler tried to make us more comfortable in spite of our anxiety (my time was approaching, rapidly) and the children's fretting. I was amazed that Davos could manage that when he had cause to be anxious himself. If some clever gold cloaks asked the right questions, they could easily discover who had taken us. Aerys would have burned his wife and young sons gladly.

Lord Manderly welcomed us warmly after sixteen days at sea, and he told us that Rhaegar had taken King's Landing with minimal fighting and that he feared us dead when the Kingsguard could not account for us. I would have written to reassure him then, but my water broke. Maester Erryk says that it was the stress of the situation that led to an early and difficult labor and that it is a miracle I survived. It took me weeks to recover, but Jonelle wrote to the king so he knew we were all in good health. I named my son "Jon" after the King of Winter who built Wolf's Den at the mouth of the White Knife, in honor of the place of Jon's birth. It is no Targaryen name, but Rhaegar was too pleased by our survival to complain.

I spent the long weeks of my convalescence reading letters from and writing letters to those we left behind, and eventually my brothers and Brandon's wife joined us there. Catelyn has given birth to a daughter, called Gillian, and Brandon is none too pleased. A healthy child is a blessing, of course, but it is better to have a son first and daughters later. I am very knowledgeable with his irritation, and the coolness between husband and wife, because they all accompanied us back to the capitol. It is a long voyage.

I was still abed when we learned of the Mad King's death, but it did not distress me further. I daresay no one mourns Aerys Targaryen but the lickspittles who served him and now have a harder master. Truthfully, I am more upset that some now call my husband a kinslayer — as though he could control whether Aerys ate, slept, and bathed! No comfort was denied to the Mad King save his freedom, and his death is no one's fault but his own.

We set sail in grander circumstances than those in which we arrived, and we landed in King's Landing to discover that I had become a hero to the people because of my midnight flight. The Prince of Dorne even wrote to thank me for saving his sister's children, but his letter offended rather than delighted. Did he think me so heartless and dishonorable that I would allow children under my protection to die? My reply was everything that was gracious, but it smarted. I suppose I am lucky that Prince Oberyn is abroad in Essos now, or I might have had to read a letter filled with his thanks as well.

Worse than the Prince's thanks were Lord Baratheon's congratulations, which came with the reminder than in another life I would have been his good-daughter. Apparently he is very sorry that I am not, for I would have made a fine lady of Storm's End. I was tempted to remind dear Steffon that it was _his_ fault that he and my father never came to an agreement, but I held my tongue. I never wanted Robert Baratheon anyway.

My reunion with my husband was fit for a song, and we spoke a great deal on many topics after he had looked us all over to make certain that we were unhurt. He is heartbroken at the loss of Aerys, which says more about the son than about the father, and he is fonder of me than I had thought. [3] Indeed, fonder of me than he by rights should be, for I have been nothing but a nuisance to him since we met at Harrenhal.

He was pleased with our smuggler for his help, so much so that he knighted him and granted him a keep. He cut off his right hand too because he was a smuggler, but he did it himself because Davos asked him too and he would not deny the man who had saved his wife and children. Ser Davos has taken the name "Seaworth" for his house and a crowned lady aboard a ship as his sigil. I am, needless to say, flattered.

I hope this letter finds you, Howland, and Meera in good health. With that, I end this letter as your friend,

 _Lyanna Stark  
_      _Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] Lyanna addresses her letter formally, but within the letter itself, she is casual and open. Their relationship began poorly because Ashara was spying on her for Rhaegar, but Lyanna appears willing to become friendlier now that Ashara has married Howland Reed.

[2] Varys, a man of uncertain origins who Aerys had brought from Essos to serve in that role. Maester Rickard, in _The Plot Against the Mad King,_ speculates that this Varys was none other than Varys Brightflame, the son of Maegor Brightflame and grandson of Daemon III Blackfyre, but that is only guesswork.

[3] There is no basis whatsoever for the omnipresent scene in ballads, plays, and novels in which Rhaegar tearfully asks his wife whether or not he is a kinslayer and then, after she reassures him, declares himself in love with her, and this sentence does not prove it, no matter what some claim. If such a thing did happen, the truth of it died with Lyanna and Rhaegar.


	3. Jonelle Cerwyn (284)

My dearest Jonelle,

How I miss you! I suspect that Lady Cerwyn died when she did to inconvenience us, for the old battle axe never did anything to make life easier for others. [1] Your father surely takes comfort in the birth of a son at long last, and I expect that you will return to me full of news about Cley. I will listen patiently, I swear. He might one day marry my niece Gillian, or one of her younger sisters, should she have any, and then I shall be glad to have prior knowledge of him.

You did not miss much at the coronation or the feast thereafter. The Andals make a production of such things, but I found it tedious. The High Septon blessed my husband and me, he placed a crown upon Rhaegar's head, and Rhaegar placed a crown upon my head. The feasts and jousting held thereafter scarcely held my attention because you were not there, dearest, sweetest Jonelle. I had to replace you — and Ashara — with the Staunton sisters for the celebrations, and after listening to their giggles for _days_ , I swear to be as prompt as you like in selecting new ladies after my old ones marry. _You_ are never allowed to marry, but I think you suspected as much.

Rhaegar finally decided to wear King Maekar's crown, a circlet with swords (I will not waste our time by describing it in more detail when you shall soon see it for yourself), which I agree is his best choice. If he cannot wear the Conqueror's crown, which the Dornish still insist is lost, then he must make due. [2] He had made for me a matching crown, and I saw some sneer at it. The Queen Mother even offered to scold her son for the slight, but I insisted that I wanted nothing more elaborate. You could hardly ride a horse while wearing the crown of Aegon the Unworthy.

The Queen Mother, by the way, has decided to retire to Dragonstone with Prince Viserys. Ser Bonifer Hasty goes with her to serve as the castellan, and I was not surprised to learn, from Ser Barristan Selmy, that Ser Bonifer had crowned her the Queen of Love and Beauty in their youth. [3] He did not retain his good looks over these past twenty-five years, but I would rather entrust her safety to an honest man than a handsome one. Aerys was as beautiful as Rhaegar, once.

Rhaella's absence leaves me as the sole mistress of the Red Keep because Rhaenys and Visenya are too young to help, so I have begun a campaign of modernization and redecoration. The first item on my agenda was the removal of the dragon skulls from the throne room save those of Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes. There is no need to show off those stunted, pathetic specimens, not when they show the decline of House Targaryen too markedly for my tastes.

I also planted a weirwood sapling in the godswood, and I hope it will flourish. (I am surprised that Betha Blackwood never attempted to plant one during her tenure as queen, but she might not have thought of it after years spent praying underneath the dead weirwood of Raventree Hall.) My father had it sent to me — or, rather, to the Queen —, and I had to remind myself that I love him. He has made it easy for me to forget these past few years, but I must be a dutiful daughter. Brandon says he has fallen into a decline recently. It is shocking to think so of a man not yet fifty, but Death holds no prejudice.

My news is otherwise strictly marital in nature.

Mylenda has taken Lord Connington as her husband, so they shall have troubles of their own to overcome. He must accept that Rhaegar could never be his husband, and she must accept that he may never find it in himself to love her. Yet, I have a strange faith in the two of them. Lord Connington might hate _me_ , but he has never been anything less than civil to Mylenda. As your aunt Hornwood once advised us, "If you cannot love your husband, befriend him."

Cersei Lannister is now officially betrothed to Robert Baratheon. I heartily pray that they will make each other miserable (and that this marriage will eventually dull Lady Cersei's interest in my own husband), but Rhaegar thinks that it bodes ill. He might be right. I have grown suspicious of all these marriages between great houses and of Lord Arryn's fostering the sons of Stark and Baratheon. [4] I take comfort in the fact that old Lord Arryn most likely could not consummate a marriage should he wed Lysa Tully or some Lannister, but he does have a young nephew who might be married in his uncle's stead. It is strange that I now fear such an alliance when, only three years ago, I might have welcomed House Stark's rise to power. Yet, three years ago I was not the dragon's queen and my fate was not tied to his. I would rather the wolves bow to the dragons now, and my lord father should have considered my betrayal before he hastily agreed to Aerys's proposal.

Rhaegar will prevent them from gaining too much influence. Already he is considering Lord Tyrell's proposal that his daughter wed Aegon, and Margaery is the daughter of the second richest lord paramount in the Seven Kingdoms and the granddaughter of the second richest lord of them all. He wants a marcher lord, from the Stormlands, for either Rhaenys or Visenya, to soften them to a half-Dornish king. I do not know who the other will wed — or Jon and Viserys, for that matter —, but they will be marriages meant to cement our control over Westeros. Aegon the Unlikely might have permitted his children to wed for love, but Rhaegar and I know better.

I am well, the children are well, and Rhaegar is well. There is nothing else to say, save the Gods keep you till we meet again. Your loyal friend,

_Lyanna Stark  
Queen of the Andals, the Rhonyar, and the First Men_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] House Cerwyn's sigil is a black battle axe on silver. Lyanna refers to Jonelle as "my faithful battle axe" in other letters.

Jonelle Cerwyn shows as little fondness and grief for her mother in her own letters written at the same time. Contemporary accounts refer to Raya Hornwood as "the Witch of Cerwyn."

[2] Daeron I, better known as the "Young Dragon," lost the crown of Aegon the Conqueror during his Conquest of Dorne. It was later found in the cellar of Sunspear during the reign of Jaehaerys III, but most historians agree that House Martell genuinely forgot it was there.

There were only two Targaryen crowns extant and in the king's possession at this point: Aegon the Unworthy's, worn by Aerys II, and Maekar's, worn by Rhaegar. Maegor melted down Aenys's crown, Rhaenyra sold Jaehaerys the Conciliator's, and Aegon Dragonsbane's was destroyed in the Tragedy of Summerhall.

[3] There are many Rhaegarian sources that refer to the affair between Rhaella Targaryen and Bonifer Hasty, but we know little about it beyond their contemporaries' opinion that they were in love. It is sometimes speculated, such as in Maester Sybell's _The Daughters of the Dragon_ , that they had married in secret, but there is no evidence for that beyond the weak argument that Ser Bonifer's famous piety would not allow for him to have an affair.

[4] For more on the so-called "Great Houses Conspiracy," see Maester Rickard's _The Plot Against the Mad King._


	4. Rhaegar Targaryen (287)

My dear husband,

King's Landing still stands, so you may rest easy on _that_ score. Lord Connington and I have come to terms at last. His friendship with you and my friendship with Mylenda _had_ to lead to mutual civility, eventually, but it is something of a disappointment to set aside my dislike for him. It helps that he has spoken well of Ned in his new post as the Master of Laws, and I am nothing if not readily pleased by those who speak well of my kin.

Shall I tell you that every day without you is a torment? It would certainly please you to hear it, but it would be a falsehood. I do miss you, but I have much to fill my days with now that you are gone. The children miss you more, but even they cannot claim to be _tormented_. They continue to be in good health. Maester Franklyn says that Jon is advanced for his age in reading and writing, and old Ser Gerold has him swinging a wooden sword to "practice" whenever he has spare time. He is no Orys Baratheon, perhaps, but he might be in time. [1] Rhaenys written a poem that she wants to recite to you upon your return, and Aegon shows great improvement with the bow. Visenya is still better than he is, but he is only eight to her seven. He might surpass her eventually, but you should have expected your second daughter to be his superior, martially, when you named her "Visenya." She is as wild as ever, so of course I am pleased with her.

My days are preoccupied with my work to enchant the Crownlands houses. I do not know whether or not they believe the smallfolks' rumors that I am a witch with heathen gods, but I have feasted and feted them enough that I would be disappointed had they no doubts.

I have settled the Rosby inheritance dispute as well, with Lord Connington's leave. Old Lord Rosby has dithered for long enough, so I consulted the maesters and decided that his heirs should be his late niece's children, by her husband Walder Frey. I was sorry to give House Frey more power than they deserve, not when the Freys will use it against the crannogmen, but then I hit upon a solution that has pleased even Lord Rosby, who hates his niece's widower with a deserved passion. The five children shall become Lord Rosby's wards and adopt his name, so it shall be as though they are not Freys at all. The eldest is eight years old, so they will soon forget the Twins altogether. (If only I could send away half his brood!) I await your response to know your own opinion. [2]

Lord Qorgyle wrote to thank you. The thousand men you sent him, as my nameday gift, allowed him to reopen four castles. House Targaryen's support means much to him, to all the men, in these dangerous times when so many have forgotten the importance of the Night's Watch, and Benjen is a valued ranger and well-loved brother. I believe he means for you to tell me, so I will insist upon you sending another thousand men when I turn thirty. I would have rather gotten a dragonbone bow.

Ser Jaime returned from his visit to Casterly Rock visibly ill-at-ease, and I managed to convince him to tell me what happened in his father's hall. His dwarf brother Tyrion eloped with a crofter's daughter, which would be a minor scandal had it gotten out, to be sure, but neither party was of age and Lord Lannister could easily have his heir's marriage annulled and forgotten. [3] Instead, he chose to have the marriage annulled and _then_ have the men of his garrison violate the young woman, one after the other. I was sickened to hear it, and yet I am glad that I have. It is time to declaw the lion, for he has grown too bold. I repeated the story to the biggest gossips in the court, in the most disapproving terms, and I expect that it shall soon become a _major_ scandal. It is time that the Golden Lion learned shame.

Barbrey Ryswell has died after bearing her husband Lord Dustin a child every year they were married, an impressive six in total, and only one of them is said to look overmuch like my brother Brandon. Lord Dustin barely waited until his wife was cold before he wrote to Jonelle to ask for her hand in marriage, but Jonelle refused. She might have taken my japes about her never marrying seriously, but I have time to reeducate her. She is still young and not too dreadful to behold, and if I cannot find anyone worthy of her, Ned is close at hand. [4]

How do you find Oldtown? I suppose it is lucky for them both that Viserys already knows Lynesse Hightower, and claims to love her, but he is only ten to her twelve. Will that infatuation last once he is married to her? I doubt it, but Lord Hightower can afford an expensive good-son — and an expensive, ambitious daughter. Lynesse already lords it over my other ladies-in-waiting that she shall one day be a princess, and she took it with ill grace when Arianne Martell reminded her that she was _already_ a princess.

Rhaenys asked me whom I write to, and now the children wish to have their greetings repeated to you. Your children love you dearly, miss you terribly, and cannot wait until they see you next. I am not so desperate for your affection and approval, but I am and shall always be, your loving and devoted wife,

_Lyanna_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] This is the first reference in Lyanna's letters to the prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised. She would rarely refer to it, even in letters to her husband, until it came true in a manner he did not anticipate, and then she mainly gloated.

[2] Rhaegar was pleased, and he advised Lyanna to continue chipping away at House Frey "in the guise of friendship."

[3] Tyrion was Lord Lannister's heir after Jaime joined the Kingsguard, but many contemporaries expected that Tyrion would die under mysterious circumstances once his father had a second grandson from his daughter Cersei's marriage to Robert Baratheon. Tywin died before that could happen, however, allowing Tyrion to inherit, and in  _A Blood Red Century,_ Maester Ragnelle speculates that his heart gave out early because of the scandal.

[4] Eddard Stark and Jonelle Cerwyn married before the year was out, and they eventually had ten children.


	5. Mylenda Caron (289)

Dear Mylenda,

How is Alys? I have led the ladies of the court in prayer for your daughter several times since we received news of her illness, but I have not been able to go to the godswood as often as I would like. The king had better not have cause to regret taking his Hand with him to the Iron Islands, but Lord Connington will make him regret it regardless. He did not like that Rhaegar made me regent in their stead, and he will certainly dislike being away from home when Alys is sick.

Have you received word from Lord Connington? Your letter informing him of Alys’s illness might not have reached him when he is so far and amidst such dangers — dangers that perhaps equal that his daughter faces. [1] I have word from Rhaegar, though, so I know that both our husbands are alive.

The news from the Iron Islands discomforts me. I did not think that my husband was the sort of man who would cut down a generation within a day, but I cannot deny that Balon Greyjoy and his brothers were traitors and that they did deserve death. But did it have to be in such a manner? His letter to me was not particularly long or detailed, but I do not think that he offered them the chance to take the black before separating their heads from their bodies. [2]

Balon’s youngest son Theon, a boy of ten, has inherited the lordship since he and his sister are the only survivors of House Greyjoy (both their elder brothers were killed in battle), and his uncle Lord Harlaw is to serve as his regent. There is not much to inherit, though. Rhaegar spoke truly when he said he would bring fire and blood to the Iron Islands, and castles have been torn down, men executed, and hostages taken. They have even confiscated every ship on the Iron Islands, and sent them all to Dragonstone! The Ironborn shall not forget this for many generations, and I do not think they have had cause to fear House Targaryen since Harren was burned alive in his hall.

Knights have escorted the young lord’s sister, Asha, to Riverrun where she will marry Lord Edmure Tully when she turns fifteen. It is a better match than she might have hoped for before her father’s rebellion, and the Ironborn now know that they could be subservient to the Riverlands, instead of the other way around, should something happen to young Theon.

We lost two knights of the Kingsguard in battle. Ser Gerold Hightower and Prince Lewyn Martell were not young men, not anymore, but they were brave and valiant. They died serving their king, and that is a honorable death regardless of what else I think about this war. Rhaegar means to replace them with Ser Brynden Tully and Ser Arys Oakheart, who both distinguished themselves in the fighting. I know and like both men, so I have no anxiety on that score.

I await your reply, but until I receive it I remain, your friend,

 _Lyanna Stark  
_ Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] Alys Connington had greyscale. Alys eventually recovered, but she was left scarred. Mylenda's own letters from this time period are filled with prayers that she survive the illness and that it not pass to her younger brother, Alyn, and her later letters and contemporary accounts show that she became more devoted to the Seven after her prayers were answered.

[2] Rhaegar, in fact, did not offer the Greyjoy brothers any option save that of execution. Even his most worshipful biographers, such as Maester Harrold in _The Dragon Reborn_ , consider his actions during Balon's Rebellion uncharacteristically brutal. Their excuses for this are plentiful, but the generally accepted answer is that he could not risk the possibility of the Ironborn attacking during the Second Long Night.


	6. Rhaella Targaryen (292)

To the Queen Mother:

I must thank you for your last letter, good-mother. No one but you could understand what I have gone through these past ten years as my enemies whisper and jape about my barren womb. You did leave me wondering whether it is better to suffer through endless miscarriages and stillbirths but know that you are still fertile or to have no pregnancies at all and therefore no hope. We would surely argue fiercely should the subject ever come up when we are together, so we must never broach the subject in each other's company.

I take comfort in knowing that our lack of children since Jon's birth is not due to a lack of trying on Rhaegar's and my part. You might not like to hear it about your son and his wife, but we try often, with enthusiasm.

Other than the whispers, nothing has changed in the capitol since your last visit. The smallfolk continue to speak of me as a Northern witch, and the septons continue to encourage them, no matter how many heads end up on pikes. I do not know what I have done except marry Rhaegar right before a long summer, but apparently I am to blame for every storm, every famine, and every accident that the people face.

The North is easier to appease. Rhaegar has approved most of the changes my brother made to their laws, to bring them more in line with the customs of the First Men before the coming of the Andals, and it is a fine thing to restore our ways. But I worry it is more than that. There is talk of human sacrifices and vicious melees that last for days, with countless dead, held in the name of the Old Gods. [1] Is this talk true? I don't know, and neither does Ned. Ned hasn't been north of the Neck since he came south to take his post on the Small Council, and he hears the same rumors that I do. Soon either he or I must go north, to investigate for ourselves.

I do know that Brandon's marriage with Catelyn Tully is unhappier than before. We thought it would improve once she bore a son, but Rickon's birth has only driven them further apart. [2] Brandon had accepted Gillian's eventual ascension as the Lady of Winterfell and even begun to rejoice in it, but now a brother stands in her way. He continues to raise their daughters as though they were his sons, and that further embitters Lady Stark. House Tully has neither a Visenya Targaryens nor a Black Aly in their history, and she cannot and will not accept having any women warriors in her family's future.

Rhaegar has settled his plans for your own Visenya and her elder siblings, and he is about to sign the betrothal agreements. Rhaenys shall marry Beric Dondarrion, Aegon, Margaery Tyrell, and Visenya, Monford Velaryon. I am happier with Rhaenys and Aegon's marriages than Visenya's, but Lord Velaryon is young, handsome, and from the blood of Old Valyria. He likes Visenya well enough and does not mind her lack of feminine graces, but who knows what he will think of his warrior-bride when she is Lady Velaryon?

Rhaegar has yet to decide upon a bride for Jon, but you would be wise to bet on Sylva Arryn. Her father is not yet Lord Arryn because old Jon Arryn refuses to die, but unless something shocking happens, he will be one day, and his eldest daughter shall be quite a prize then. There is time to consider our options, however. Presently Lady Sylva is but four years old, too young to even be betrothed. At least, by my reckoning. I know others hold different opinions. [3]

The children do not hold strong opinions on their betrothals. Rhaenys said that Lord Dondarrion is a good knight who has proven himself in the joust and a gallant man who has proven himself in the ballroom, but she waits to see how he performs in the bedroom. It was a rather shocking speech for a girl of fourteen, and I laughed before I could help myself. Aegon thinks Lady Margaery is pretty and charming, and she will make a good queen one day. Visenya wants to go sailing with Lord Velaryon, like the Sea Snake and Oakenfist before them, and if he can take Visenya on adventures and keep her happy, I will never complain of him again.

I wish I could answer your questions about your younger son, but I am not in Viserys's confidence. He and his bride appear to be happy, but I do not know what happens when they are alone. You shall have to press him for answers yourself. Perhaps you could invite him and Lynesse to visit you on Dragonstone? Or you could wait until you come here for the celebrations for your grandchildren's betrothals? I will write you as soon as I finish planning the damned monstrosity. I long to see you again. Your daughter,

_Lyanna_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] Maester Luwin, then the maester at Winterfell, confirms some of the outlandish rumors in his letters to the Citadel. In one letter, he reports that _"Lord Stark... executed a deserter from the Night's Watch... strung him up by the entrails in the heart tree while his daughters and his men cheered and prayed, later falling into a frenzy unlike any I have seen."_

[2] Rickon Stark was born earlier that year. His birth marked the beginning of a permanent estrangement between Brandon Stark and Catelyn Tully. The unhappy marriage between the two is the focus of Maester Wylla's _The Wolf and the Trout: A Marriage Born for Misery_.

[3] This was probably a reference to the betrothal of Gerold Whent, son of Benedict Whent and Lysa Tully, to Ellyn Darry, daughter of Harlan Darry and Tyta Frey. Neither child had reached their first birthday yet.


	7. Jon Targaryen (297)

My dearest son,

You are fortunate to be away presently, for King's Landing has erupted into chaos.

Your sister Visenya and her husband have returned from their tour of Essos at long last, in perfect health, and amongst their cargo were their twin sons and a dozen dragon eggs. [1] She means to hatch them. We reminded her of what has happened to those who have tried since the Dance of Dragons, but she will not be reasoned with. All she says is "I was born to ride a dragon," and she swears that the sorcerers they brought back with them know what they are about. I know I am going to be blamed for this somehow.

Viserys and Lynesse have yet to return from their own tour of Essos, meanwhile, and they are said to be lingering in Pentos where a Magister Illyrio Mopatis is their host. [2] That bodes ill, in my mind.

And yet, the Targaryens are nothing compared to the Starks right now. Have you heard about what your cousin Gillian did? Your uncle called his banners and had them march south, under Gillian's command, as a show of force while she negotiated with Lord Frey about his treatment of the crannogmen, and after Lord Frey insulted her, she had them lay siege to the Twins. The siege lasted for one day before the walls crumbled, allegedly because of "crannogmen magic," and the castles were sacked. No man above the age of sixteen was left alive, not after the siege, the sack, and her executions. Some say that she sacrificed the men she executed to the Old Gods and that she desecrated the septs too, but that cannot be more than tall tales. Then she confiscated all their valuables and sent them north to the Watch.

I know that her father ordered to do this, but I have no proof. Brandon undoubtedly gave her secret orders, but she denies this. They both know that your father will not execute or exile her (and those are his only choices when she is a woman who keeps the Old Gods), not when she is so young and my own niece. It does not help that she looks exactly as I did when your father met me at Harrenhal. You need not worry about what we _will_ do to Gillian. Your father and I have already agreed that she shall stay in King's Landing as a hostage and my lady-in-waiting. I will place her under the careful watch of Jeyne Westerling. [3]

The Faith was further incensed by Gillian's actions, and they say that it is characteristic of House Stark and that I am as monstrous as my niece. They talk as if no Andal has ever desecrated a sept before! Grand Maester Marwyn offered to consult his histories and make a long list of times when even Faithful houses such as House Arryn committed atrocities against septs and septons alike, and I agreed to it. Let them argue with the historical record!

The Faith is nothing compared to Lord Edmure Tully, though. Hoster Tully's son keeps sending us poorly-penned letters about how displeased he is with this violation of his bedridden father's rights but how, oh, Gillian is his niece, and he doesn't really _blame_ her.

This is the last thing we needed. I swear to you, there is unrest everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms. The other great houses are acting no more sensibly than House Stark and House Tully. The new Lord Arryn is quarreling with Lord Royce over his wife's dowry, and them four years married! And her his third wife! [4] The Stormlands are in debt because that fool Robert Baratheon has no impulse control, and Mace Tyrell wants his daughter in your brother's bed sooner rather than later, never mind that the girl is scarcely fourteen. I never thought that _Tyrion Lannister_ would become my favorite lord paramount, but I am thinking of sending him a letter to that effect. Better he than Theon Greyjoy or Doran Martell, I suppose.

Your uncle Benjen's letters, and Lord Commander Mormont's, are filled with ill news from beyond the Wall, and this after the king already sent them a thousand men on my thirtieth nameday. Your father thinks that he may soon need to march north himself, with an army of course, and in that case, you must return sooner than you planned. He will want you and your brother at his side now that you are old enough to fight.

You are surely having a more enjoyable time than I am, and pass along my well wishes to Lord Samwell. [5] I remember that Sunspear was beautiful, but it has been many years since I had the opportunity to visit. The Dornish still do not like me, anyway, but they tolerate you because of the love your older brother and sisters bear for you. Give my regards to Rhaenys and her children when you visit Blackhaven on your return. Your mother,

_Lyanna Stark_

 

* * *

 

**Notes:**

[1] Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon were born in Qarth in 296.

[2] Lyanna was unaware that Illyrio Mopatis was the father of Daemon Mopatis, heir of Maegor Brightflame and Daemon Blackfyre, though some have tried to spin this mention into a warning for her son that the Brightflame/Blackfyre threat was real. Maester Meredyth's _Dragons Bright and Dark_ has more thorough discussion of how the Targaryens could be ignorant of the magister's schemes.

[3] This is the first mention in Lyanna's letters of Jeyne Westerling, who would later be infamous as Gillian Stark's lover and later yet be celebrated as an early queer heroine.

[4] Elbert Arryn inherited when his uncle Jon Arryn died earlier that year. His wives were Carolei Waynwood (by whom he had two children), Janyce Hunter (by whom he had one child), and Ryella Royce (by whom he had four children). Ryella was his only wife who became Lady Arryn, due to his uncle's longevity, and he argued that he had been promised a larger dowry once Ryella was the Lady of the Vale. The Citadel did have records of a compromise, but the exact contract was burned in a fire during the reign of Rhaenyra IV.

[5] Lord Samwell Tarly, Jon Targaryen's best friend and travel companion.


End file.
